$124M Milwaukee streetcar approved

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee City Council has approved a controversial $124 million streetcar connecting downtown and the lower east side.

A motion to reconsider passage of the streetcar failed on Tuesday. It was last approved in January. Opponents gathered petition signatures to block the project and argued the city had better way to spend its money than a streetcar that would only travel several miles along a fixed route.

But proponents and business leaders urged the council to move forward with the project because it would stimulate economic development and new jobs.

Mayor Tom Barrett said he expects once the streetcar is built, its routes will be expanded.